Just wanted to share my progress on my Gator Glass Shark Unlimited blank rated at 80-UNLIMITED and 10' one piece
Building it for a Shimano Tiagra 130 spooled with 600 yards of 250 lb braid and 130 lb mono
So far I got my custom sharkskin rear and foregrips with a giant Stuart size 6 reel seat
I've started the underwraps to match the braid
More pics to come, as well as rods!
IMG00110-20101105-2149.jpg by ElTiburonero, on Flickr
is this a original gator or is it the ones that mudhole is now selling?
Mudhole
I spoke to Blackfin Rods who are now making the Gator Blanks and they believe it is as strong if not stronger than the original Unlimited. There are making a 80-130 now that also seems like a really nice blank.
hey how much did that reel seat run you?
thats the mudhole one? how is the action on it i have had people tell me it has no flex and is very very heavy.
Monox - Doesn't seem to have very much flex in it, I couldn't tell you if it's heavy or not because I've never handled the original to compare.
Lovin - Not really sure, I bought it from Marshall at Chaos along with 2 other seats and 2 blanks, the 50-80 and the 80-130 10 footers.
Cfro - Blackfin is making gator blanks too? Or are they the same as Chaos' blanks? Are they 10'?
Blackfin is making the Mudhole Gator blanks. I am not sure if Chaos makes their own blanks (I don't know, never talked to them), if they don't I think they most likely gets them from Blackfin (they told me that they were the last custom builder that made their own blanks). They are 10 feet, unfinished, I "tried" (both were pretty stout) to bend them at the Mudhole open house. They had the Shark Unlimited, which I could maybe get an inch of bend on, And then the Shark (80-130) which I got like 5 or 6 inch.
Oh ok I'm sure they are the same then
will the 80-130 take a #4 reel seat or does it need the monster #6 seat like the 80-unlimited also? can you take a pic of the rod you just finished with the other blanks beside of it?
Sure I'll post up more tonight along with the other blanks
Ok I don't think the 80-130 will take a size 4 unless you have it sitting 30" above the butt.
Here are pics of the done guides. I'm waiting on a few more parts to complete this bazooka.
I decided to change both the rear and fore grips because I tried out some of the leather grips with the gold stripe and it looked great on it, but the one I ordered was too short so I've ordered a longer one. I like that it covers the rod brace sleeve that these BIG Stuart #6 seats come with as I have no use for it being that's it's paired with a 130.
I've layered quick grip on the fore so the leather will sit flush with the seat and outward.
I'm also going to layer the rear grip with x-flock to sit flush with the seat before I add a gimbal.
With the gimbal I just cut the butt end of a cheap-o heavy blank and will epoxy it up the GG's butt.
I'm also thinking about adding finish to the gaps between the guides to eliminate the gator look. What do you guys think?
And not sure what to do about the "butt wrap" area... I have a slick 3" gold shark decal that I could use...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Scuba-Dive-Decal-St ... 7216907250
Anywho here is what has transpired thus far...
TunaStick, here are the three rods for comparison, from left to right it goes 50-80, 80-130, and 80-UNL
Here is what I'm going for, but have since ordered more x-flock and the longer leather grip
Here is the gimbal attachment
And here is the stripper guide before finish
Nice tight wraps. Like the colors. You're gonna fish it gimbaled? You must be iron man.
I have a Gator pier rod that has the ridges. I'm gonna paint black with krylon then finish over it, so there will be no trace of the ridges.
Nice build.
Nice color scheme.
the 80-130 looks really close in size to the 80-unlimited except at the tip. Thanks for posting the pics up